Resilient wheel



June 24, 1924.

O. ANDREWS RBSILIENT WHEEL Filed Jan. 5. 1923 Fatented June 24,

- RESILIENT WHEEL.

Application filed January 3, 1923. Serial No. 610,492.

710 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, OsoAR ANDREWS, a citizen of the Dominion of NewZealand, residing at 67 Fitzherbert Street, Palmerston North, in theProvincial District of Wellington, New Zealand, have invented anImproved Resilient YVheel, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle whee-ls, and more especially to wheelsused on motor cars and like vehicles, provided with rubber tires. 7

The object of'the invention is to provide an improved construction ofresilient wheel, on which solid tires can be used instead of pneumatictires in order that puncture troubles will be eliminated, while a degreeof resiliency at least equal to that present when a pneumatic tire isused is obtained. i

The improved wheel comprises circular spring members secured asidebyside on a hub so that a space provided between said members surroundsthe hub. I

The outer edges of the spring members are connected by flexible crossstraps which carry a solid rubber tire the. latter .being secured to aband located inside the cross straps and also if desired to one or morebands surrounding or outside the latter.

.The centre portions of the circular spring members are attached to thehub and are non-expanding, while the outer portions of said circularspring members are adapted to be forced from. each other under the action of expanding means acting in rings placed between the springmembers in order that tension may. be placed on the straps connectingtheir outer edges.

Under the weight of a load and as the result of road shocks the outerportions of the spring members spring or move towards and from eachother, thereby at times casing and at times increasing the tension onthe straps which carry the tire whereby road shocks are largely absorbedor minimised by the tire and wheel,-to a degree at least equal tothatobtained by a pneumatic tire.

A convenient form of the invention will be described in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section of theimproved wheel Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the latter and Figure7 is a plan of a modified form of strap.

In the drawing, 1 represents a hubof conventional design, having securedthereon between the flanges 2, dished spring steel discs 3, placed sothat their hollovs or concave sides face outwards or away from eachother. v

The discs3 are secured together by any desired number of bolts 4 whichpass through the flanges 2, the discs 3 and the hub 1;

Outer bolts 6 which screw in nuts 5 or the like recessed and immovablyheld in the inner surface of one of separate rings 5 surrounding the hublbetween the discs-3, are provided with shoulders 7 which work againstthe inner surface of the other of the rings 5. Preferably the latter hasrecessed therein bearing, plates '8. through which said bolts 6 pass,the shoulders? on the latter bearing against the plates 8.

The bolts 6 pass through one of the discs 3 and are squared as at 6 orotherwise formed to enable them to be grippedand turned, for the purposeeither of forcing rings 5 and the outer portions of the discs 3 apart,or for allowing said rings and outer portions to contract and movetowards each other. e V

The outer edges of the discs 8 have formed thereon opposed hook shapedportions'9.

These hook shaped portions 9 are equally spaced around the edges of thediscs 3 and are provided for the purpose of accommodating pins 10 passedthrough, or connected to the ends of, flexible straps 11," whichexaeaeoe tend from the outer edge of one disc 3 to the outer edge of theother disc 3 at the desired intervals.

The main or centre portion of each pin 10 is half round, and halftapered to one side, while the ends of each pin are rounded (Figs. 4 and5).

The straps 11 are formed from light spring steel or other suitableflexible material of the necessary strength, wound doubled together asuitable number of times and having its ends secured to provide aformation with looped ends 11 {see ure 6).

A pin 10 is inserted in each looped end 11 of a strap 11 with the halfround side outwards, the round pin ends being engaged in the hook shapedportions 9 so that the strap 11 is held crossways between the outeredges of the discs 3.

Straps 11 are secured in this way at the required intervals around theedges of the discs 3, there being preferably a strap 11 accommodated ineach directly opposite pair of recesses 9 between the hook shaped por--'tions 9.

To provide for the securing of the tire 12 to the wheel, a band 16 ofrubber, canvas or the like is placed inside the flexible straps 11, andis secured by rivets, bolts or the like 13 passing between the saidstraps 11 to one or'more bands 14 ot'rubbe'r or the like surrounding oron the outside of the straps 11, the first of the bands 14 on theoutside of the straps 11 extending the full width between the outeredges of the discs 3.

The tire 12 which is solid, and preferably has a shape in cross section,substantially shown in Fig. 1, is secured by bolts 15 having oval headsembedded in the tire, said bolts 15 passingbetween the straps 11 andthrough the bands 14 and 16 and being'provided with-nuts on their innerends.

In a modification the straps 11 (Figure 7) can be provided with links 17atthe ends, said links being adapted to be passed over opposite hookshaped portions 9, in which case the straps will not enter-the recessesbetween said hook shaped portions but will extend from a hook 9 on onedisc 3 across to the directly opposite hook 9 on the other disc 3.

If desired the tire 12 can be formed of sections placedcircuinferentially around the wneel and also if found necessary ordesirable the band 14 next the tire can be o'l metal permanently securedto the tire, and also in sections, to suit the sections of tire.

A wheel constructed as above described provides as great a degree ofresiliency or ease in riding as is obtained with a pneumatic tire, whiletire troubles due to punctures arecompletely eliminated.

The bolts 6 can be adjusted to spread or regulate the spacing apart ofthe outer portions of the discs 3, to enable the required tension to beplaced on the straps 11 and the desired degree of resiliency to beobtained. Road shocks are absorbed or minimised by the spring of thediscs 3, the flexible straps i1 and the tire 12.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent 01 the UnitedStates of America is 1. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, circularspring members secured side by side on the hub, flexible strapsconnecting the outer edges of said spring members, and a tire carried bysaid flexible straps, wherein the central portions of said circularspring members are non-expanding, the outer portions of said springmembers being capable of movement towards and away from each other.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, circular spring members securedside by side on the hub, flexible straps connecting the outer edges ofsaid spring members, and a tire carried by said flexible straps, separate rings surrounding the hub between said members, and bolts, forforcing the spring members apart, the bolts being positioned in therings.

A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, cir cular spring members secured sideby side on the hub, flexible straps connecting th outer edges of saidspring members, and a tire carried by said flexible straps wherein thecentral portions of said circular spring members are non-expanding, theouter por tions of said spring members being capable of movement towardsand away from each other, separate rings surrounding the hub betweensaid members, and bolts, for torcing the spring members apart, the boltsbeing positioned in the rings.

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, circular spring members securedside by side on the hub, flexible straps connecting the outer edges ofsaid spring members, and a tire carried by said flexible straps, whereindirectly opposite hook-shaped portions are provided aroundthe outeredges of the circular spring members, for enabling the flexibile strapsto be secured between said outer edges.

5. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, circular spring members securedside by side on the hub, flexible straps connecting the outer edges ofsaid spring members, and a tire carried by said flexible straps, whereindirectly opposite hook shaped portions are provided around the outeredges of the circular spring members, forenabling the-flexible straps tobe secured between said outer edges, wherein the flexible straps havelooped ends, connecting pins received in said ends, said pins havingrounded ends, and half round and half tapered center portions.

6. In a vehicle wheel of the kind depluralityof bolts, each bolt passingthrough scribed, a hub, circular spring members on one of said membersand screwing into one the hub, oppositely positioned hook shaped ring ofthe pair, each bolt being provided portions on the edges of the springmembers, with a shoulder which bears against the and flexible tirecarrying straps provided at other of the pair of said rings, and means15 their ends with loops to be connected to the whereby to turn eachbolt. directly opposite hook shaped portions. In testimony whereof Ihave signed my 7. In a vehicle wheel, circular spring nameto thisspecification. members secured side by side on a hub, a

10 pair of rings placed between the members, a OSCAR ANDREWS.

